Run for Friday, 10/22.
Since I have completely fallen apart on my route to finish a 5K, all running, I'm becoming creative with where the problem could be. I hate the smell of my current deodorant. The store didn't have the scent I preferred last time, so I've been stuck with this one for what seems like an eternity. And it is pretty much all I can smell as I swelter through a run. Today, I decided to spray some Bath & Body Works spray that my Mom gave me before my run. Perhaps if I smell something I like while I'm out there, I'll be more inclined to stay out there.
I decided to give the hilly 5K route a try today. Probably not a great idea since I just ran yesterday, but why not. I pretty well know that I can get through the first half, because there's no way I'm stopping while going DOWN the giant hill. There's another sizable hill to go up on the other side of that, and my goal was really to just get farther up it today than I did last time. This should be doable because my mp3 player is charged today, and I smell like a cucumber.
As I ran down the hill, I couldn't help but note the amount of little bugs in the air. For a mouth breather like me (at least while running), this is definitely a concern. Between all the cobwebs from the last run, and the bugs today, I'm thinking fall running is not for me and/or I need a mask to wear while running. That would be smashing.
Anyway, I made it to the back of the city park at the bottom of the Hill Gigantic. Of course, I was tired, but I wanted to get to the top of the next hill. Um, I didn't. I made it a respectable 200 feet farther than last time, which was how far it was to the next landmark, a driveway. Going uphill just wasn't working out for me, but I had achieved my goal of going farther, and I was surprised when I looked at the time and saw I had been running for 20 minutes already. Last time, it took me 19 minutes, so I'm consistent anyway. I had gone 2.67K/1.66m.
At this point, I had only run about 3 tenths of a mile farther than yesterday's run, but it felt like I had run miles and miles farther. I hoped to walk to the top of the hill, then start running for the downhill. Of course, that didn't work out. I had full-on jelly legs, and wasn't sure if I'd be running anymore.
When I got to the lake, there was a gaggle (?) of geese on the path. We have the world's biggest geese, clearly, in this area, and I was a little leery of walking past them. There were people at the picnic shelter nearby, so always the entertainer, I knew I would at least be putting on a show if they attacked me and threw me, bloody, into the lake.
I got past them, only to encounter an even larger gaggle on the other side. With no people close by, I was more intimidated walking past them, but at least I wasn't up against the lake here.
Success again. As I wound my way around the path, here completely blocked from view, I came upon, you guessed it. Another gaggle of geese. I was going to go for it once again, and as I rounded the curve in the trail to meet them, I saw one goose right in the center of the path, stone cold asleep. Standing on one leg, face buried in his back. I don't know what goose protocol is for being startled awake by a human, but based on all the other geese, who were awake, and watching me, I had a feeling there was one and I didn't want to know about it. So, risking losing a little time on my run, and more importantly, coming across a snake, I backtracked a little, then shuffled across the grass. Sleeping goose stirred, but no one came after me.
Shew. That was close.
The trail levels out a bit at this point, and I decided to run again. Not just to get the heck out of this park of giant geese, but to get away from the creeper cop car parked way back down one of the trailways. Lunch? Strategically parked? Napping? I don't know, but since my favorite phrase is "Run like you stole something," I decided to use them as motivation. Plus, I had pepper spray in my pocket, and I didn't want to be tazed to death for it. I started running near a little parking area, after 8 minutes of walking, covering about .64K/.39m.
Starting up again was unbearably hard, and in spite of having New Kids come on the mp3, I believe for the first time, I sadly did not have the Right Stuff after all, and stopped running after 5 minutes/.71K/.45m. It seemed like I covered a long ways, and I made it a wee bit into the hill that covers a couple of blocks. It's gentle, and of course, would have preferred to run it, but this was strategically a good place to walk again.
With my oh so technologically advanced shuffle mode on my mp3, mere moments later, I got to hear more NKOTB. This time it was "Step by Step," which I found amusing, and just may have been able to use to motivate me to start running again. I was at the top of the wee hill, about to start back on the long main road I run all the time. I thought I heard someone yelling, like conversationally, and I kind of glanced around. I was preparing to cross an awkward intersection that doesn't have a very good view, so if someone was yelling, I thought I maybe should pay attention. I didn't see anyone until I got across the street, and then I noticed a woman leaning out the door of the second house on the block. Sure enough, she was yelling at me.
About the same time I realized that, I saw the dog. He was on a leash, but his leash went across the sidewalk and he was laying in the grass by the road. Granted, if she hadn't yelled, I probably would have tripped over the leash before I saw the dog, but, wait, did she say he bites?!
I paused my mp3 and yelled back, "He BITES?!" No, of course not, you oxygen deprived maniac. She yelled again, "He does NOT bite. He may lick you and he'll probably follow you down the sidewalk."
So, since the geese had already thrown my time slightly, why not stop and pet the big ol' pit bull in my path. Per usual, I gave him the "Hi doggie," that all frightening dogs in my path get, and stuck my [please God don't let me lose it] hand out to him. "Doggie" apparently didn't work for the lady in the doorway, because she yelled his name which I heard as Tubs.
"Tubs?" I yelled back. "No, TUX."
Oh, of course. Because that's a normal name for a dog. Tux gave me a lick, and followed me as far as his leash went, and I carried on, shaking my head at how absurd this run was turning out.
I passed the Halloween decoration with the dismembered leg dangling from the tree, and told myself I really needed to get to running again. I didn't think I could quite make it home, and I didn't want another walk session. I walked back to the street where I originally turned off for the hills at the beginning of the run (7 minute walk/.63K/.39m), and ran the rest of the way home (4.75 minutes/.44K/.28m). I ran through a massive amount of bugs and was concerned, mostly because I didn't notice them when I was running the other direction.
It nearly killed me to get to the back of my house, and when I got to the stairs, I put my arm on the railing, and my head on it. I didn't bend over quite as much as the near faint inducing bend I did the day before. When I stood up, there was a bug smeared down my arm where my head had been. So disgusting. This is the nastiest hobby I have ever had. But at least I smelled better today.
So, now it's Monday when I'm actually posting this, and as I look back at my notes, a couple of things stand out. I didn't write down what time I ran, and I didn't write down what I had eaten. I believe it was around 12:30 when I was running, because I seem to remember thinking people at the park were on their lunch breaks. Given the hour, I probably didn't have much more than a Dew and water, and maybe some granola before the run. I did note that I was "so, so thirsty." When I got home, I took the dog for a walk, and that night I was so sore. So tired, and achey, and just miserably exhausted. Saturday had to be a rest day, but I planned to run yesterday. I decided instead to wait until today when there were fewer people out and about. I can't get a job because I refuse to run anytime when there are people around! I did spend the weekend getting back close to my proper water intake, so perhaps I won't be "so, so thirsty" when I run next. I also got out my giant book o' Shakespeare and looked for something to work on memorizing while I run. I haven't landed on anything yet, but I still think this may be the best tool for me to get through a run. I'm open to suggestions for anything, at all, to memorize.
Weather: 73, Sunny, 18mph Wind, 26% Humidity
Time: 12:30pm; Run 20, Walk 8, Run 5, Walk 7, Run 4.75 (44.75 minutes)
Distance: 5.09K (3.17m)
Elevation: +163.1/-187.4/net -24.3 ft
5K/10K: 43:54/1:32:48 - This is horrible, but better than the last time, when I walked 39% of the route.
Run Time: 29.75 minutes
Distance: 3.82K (2.39m) - As annoyed as I am that I can't run farther without walking, the cumulative distance makes me quite happy. Looking over my spreadsheet, I am going farther, if not the way I want to. For this trip, I walked about 25% of the distance.
5K/10K: 39:48/1:24:07
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